How Love Was Enough
by kissmyckickenbutt
Summary: Bella loved everything about Chicago: her college courses, her quirky roommate, her ability to actually experience fall. And when her roommate's family decided to take her in as one of their own, she was able to see a whole new side to this city she called home.
1. Preface

**Preface**

Your Aunt Alice once told me about a time when she questioned your Nan on why she chose to be with your grandad. Alice was fourteen and had just been told she had to cancel her date to homecoming. Apparently she didn't take it well, and she blamed Nan. After all, if Nan had chosen a different husband, a normal man, Alice wouldn't have had to follow so many stupid rules. Nan, of course, quickly reminded her that if she had chosen a "normal man" then Alice wouldn't exist, but, according to Alice, the only true answer she ever got was "I loved him, you'll understand some day."

As you know, two years later Aunt Alice met Uncle Jasper, but, while she understood what it was to love, she couldn't truly comprehend what her mother meant. Alice had been born into this life, she'd been forced to follow these rules since birth, and, while she was ecstatic that it led her to Jasper, she didn't know how one could choose to leave normal behind.

So, my darling girl, I decided to write down how it all happened, because some day you'll get fed up, or confused, and you'll ask why. I could just give you the simple answer, that your father is the love of my life, that my heart left me with no choice, but what you'll really want to know is how. How could I leave my life behind? How could I damn my children to this life as well? I hope this helps.

 **AN: This is my first fanfic in over ten years. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I hope you'll enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Fall. Autumn. Automne. Otoño. Here it was, just two weeks into October, and the season was so completely obvious. From the crisp cool air requiring me to don my sweater in the morning to the brightly colored leaves on the trees and the ground, Chicago was everything I had hoped it would be.

I, Bella Swan, was born and raised in Houston, a place where there were two seasons: summer; and fanting, a few months (usually December through February) where the temperature would jump from 30 to 80 degrees in a day, hopefully containing enough consecutive cold hours to kill off the mosquitos. So when the acceptance letter came from Northwestern, it was an absolute no brainer. At eighteen, I was finally going to experience something teachers had been talking about since preschool, the four seasons.

Of course, not everyone had been supportive. My older sister had chosen to monologue about the "extreme distresses of snow", and how someone of my "weak and delicate stature" would not be able to handle the "harrowing winters of the north". I then reminded her, quite kindly, that my school did not require an underground tunnel network in order for classes to take place for half the year, so, surely, the Chicago winters wouldn't be as bad as those in Minneapolis. Besides, (I'd cut in before she could go on about the Guthrie and prestige, etc. etc.) this was only a four year commitment. If my little Texan body really couldn't handle the cold, I could fly back to the land of eternal summer with degree in hand and never look back. Argue with that, Jessiblah.

Shaking off my sudden annoyance, I picked up the pace, wanting to get back to my suit and discuss my findings with my roomy. While attempting to study in the library, I'd gotten distracted when I accidently looked up pumpkin patches. There was now a nice list of places to go pick a pumpkin, take a hay ride, walk through a corn maze, and more. One farm even had a pick your own apple orchard as well. However, what I found on the other side of my door chased all thoughts of pumpkins from my mind.

Poor Alice, my bubbly, overenthusiastic suit mate, was on our couch sobbing.

"Ali, what happened?" I asked while dropping my things by the door and rushing to her side.

"He's… taking… someone else… to the… ball," she managed to get out as her big green eyes glistened with tears.

"Jasper? What ball, sweety?"

"Yes, Jasper! He's taking someone else, and that's it. I don't understand! He was the one who wanted to wait! Why doesn't he want me anymore?"

Now I was a bit confused. Of course, I'd heard of Jasper before. He was Ali's soulmate. Her destined. Her one true love. Or so she told me. I'd never actually met the man. Apparently, the two met when he started working for her father, and it had been love at first site (Alice's words). Jasper however had been quite a bit older (20 almost 21 to her newly 16) and so they had a mutual understanding that nothing could happen yet. Alice had also been a bit upset when that didn't change on her 18th birthday, though Jasper was quick to explain that he wanted to wait until she had at least one year of college under her belt before they started anything. Apparently, he wanted her to make sure he was exactly who she wanted because once Jasper got her "he'd never let her go". Alice had told me all this over a bottle of wine her mom had brought over a couple weeks ago.

"Deep breaths, Ali. We'll figure this out. It's probably a misunderstanding. Maybe he's taking a friend as a stand in until you two are official."

"No, you don't understand," she wailed, her whole body shaking. "He's taking her _to the ball_! He chose her! I just don't understand why? Was it all a lie?"

What was so important about this stupid ball? Sometimes I didn't understand Alice at all, but I chalked it up to our geographical differences growing up. Alice Cullen was born and raised in Chicago (fourth or fifth generation) and she had a lot of, what I considered, Midwestern-rich-girl quirks. Not that I could judge, I'd worn a giant, beribboned flower once a year in high school (complete with jingle bells, the feminist in me could never allow an actual cowbell to hang around my neck).

"I don't think anyone could fake those kinds of feelings, Alice, especially for as long as you two have been… interested. This really is probably some kind of big mistake. And if it's not, may she be a horrible, vindictive, she-witch who brings him eternal misery."

Alice burst into a fresh round of sobs, mumbling about how she could never wish him ill, even if he didn't love her anymore.

"Sweetheart, are you sure this is even true? Maybe someone misheard and gave you the wrong information. Maybe some guy named… Asher is taking a girl to the ball ( _whatever that is_ )."

"Jasper called to tell me himself. He said he never wanted to hurt me, that he'd always love me, but that this was something he had to do, and then he just hung up. He didn't let me ask why. Didn't even give me a chance to tell him how I felt."

 _Huh, okay, change of tactic_ , "Here's what we're gonna do, honey. We're gonna open up some chocolate ice cream, pour some drinks, pop in Momma Mia, and forget about what's-his-face."

That earned a watery smile and head nod. With one final hug, I headed over to our kitchen and pulled the Ben and Jerry's out of the freezer.

This didn't make any sense. Sure, I'd only heard about Jasper from Alice, but her mom had seemed to completely agree with everything she said that night. Not to mention, Alice had some kind of sixth sense about people. Like Mikeperv in my Shakespeare class, or Lauren, the witch next door majoring in MRS studies.

As I poured us each a glass of wine (thank you, Mrs. Cullen!), I watched my roommate as she struggled to hold herself together long enough to get the movie going. Her usually perfectly styled, long black hair was thrown up in a messy bun. Her elvish features seemed pinched and those jade green eyes of hers were puffy and rimmed in red. I had to hold in a laugh, though, as I saw her crying/heartbreak outfit was a red silk pajama set with matching slippers and fuzzy blanket. That was just so Alice. Even at her worst she still had a sense of grace about her. If I didn't love her so much I'd hate her.

The ice cream, wine, glasses, and spoons all fit easily on a silver tray Alice insisted we have, and I made it back to the couch without dropping anything right as the opening notes began. By the time Super Trouper came on, Alice and I were belting the lyrics while dancing wildly in front of the couch. She had a silly grin on her face and called out "darn right, no men allowed!" when her phone rang. Picking it up, Alice's face immediately fell and she dropped it again while shaking her head, new tears forming.

Without stopping to think, I snatched it up. Maybe it was the wine, but I was suddenly furious with this man/boy. How dare he hurt Alice? The girl was a treasure! In a little over a month, she'd become my very best friend, so how could he, after two and a half years, have the gall to _not_ love her.

Ignoring Alice's sudden wide eyes and waving hands, I slid the green arrow over and let into him.

"I don't know who you think you are, but unless you're calling to beg for forgiveness, explain that it was all a misunderstanding, or that you've come to your senses and realized no two bit hussy could ever compare to the lovely woman you decided to cast aside, then, bless your heart, you, sonny, are going to deeply regret it. You see, darlin', I'm from Texas, and you can be changed from a bull to a steer in three seconds flat."

I grinned widely at Alice, whose expression seemed to be caught between extreme amusement and horror, while silently congratulating myself on speaking in such a creepy calm voice. Take that Jasper.

However, the sexy chuckle on the other line had me questioning myself as a smooth deep voice replied, "As much as I'd like to see that, I believe you have me confused with the man who's currently incapacitated on my couch. Perhaps you could shed some light onto why exactly he came staggering into my office, crying about Alice, and then falling face first onto my furniture?"

"Umm…" Well, that was not expected. I looked to Alice for some clue as to whom this could be, but she'd decided on amusement and was currently laughing silently at me from her perch on the couch.

"Texas?"

"Sorry, I'm not comfortable sharing Alice's private information with random men." _Okay, now hang up, Bella, so you can go hyperventilate in private._

"My apologies, I'm her brother Edward, Edward Cullen."

 **AN: Sorry for the wait! Hope it was worth it. Let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Alice, it's your brother," I said while silently pleading with her to take the phone.

I had a horrible track record with the opposite sex. Partly because I wasn't the best at picking up on a person's interest in me (case in point: Mike Newton and his wanting to "study" King Richard the Third with me); but mostly because of the fact that if someone expressed a romantic interest, or, even worse, if I was attracted to _them_ I turned into some kind of bumbling fool. And let's face it, there was no way I _wouldn't_ be attracted to Edward. Forget the fact that his voice was enough to make my brain go a bit fuzzy; I'd seen his mother and sister.

Esme Cullen was gorgeous. At about 5'5" in kitten heels, she had a head of long, nearly black hair with deep red highlights, her daughter's delicate elvish features, and the body of a woman who knew her way around a gym. If it weren't for her blue eyes, laugh lines, and four extra inches, Esme and Alice could almost pass as twins. This was horrible for me at the moment, because it meant Mr. Sexy-Voice had a very high chance of being drop dead gorgeous as well.

If Alice would just take the phone… but the tears were already forming in her eyes again as she slowly shook her head, whispering, "I can't." And suddenly it didn't matter that the person on the other end of the line was completely and totally out of my league, the whole reason I'd picked up this phone in the first place was to help Ali, and maybe I could.

"It's ok, sweety. Do you want me to take this in the other room?"

With a quick nod from Alice, I made my way over to my bedroom, shutting the door on Meryl Streep's rant about ejaculations.

"Sorry, Alice isn't able to talk right now, but if there's any way I could help please let me know." _Good job, Bella. You sounded nice and confident with just a hint of automated answering machine._

There was a deep sigh on the other line. "If you could just tell me what you know about Alice and Jasper's current situation…"

His biting tone suddenly made it quite a bit easier to reply. "All I know is that your _dear_ friend crushed mine when he informed her this morning that, after _over two years_ of leading her on, he decided to invite some other woman to a ball." Ignoring the sudden intake of breath on the other line, I pressed on. "Now, if you need any more information, I suggest you take it up with the _darling gentleman_ who caused all this distress in the first place, and allow your sister at least a few solid hours to collect herself before badgering her again."

"Thank you Ms…?" _Nope, just keep talkin', Ed._ "I have a feeling I know _exactly_ what happened. This should be resolved shortly." _And suddenly we're in a business meeting? Fine._

"Of course, Mr. Cullen. I believe it would be easier for Alice if you used written communication from now on. Good day." And with that I hung up and went back to watch James Bond sing his little heart out.

Multiple musicals, a couple bottles of wine, and one cheese-filled Pasta a la Bella later, I was contemplating cutting Alice off as she yelled at Ewan McGregor to get out while he still could, and how love couldn't save them, when there was a loud knock on our door. A glance at my phone showed the time to be well past eleven and the high volume of our musical healing suddenly seemed a bit rude.

I quickly turned the volume down and made my way to the door, ready to apologize to whichever neighbor we'd kept up with our antics. However, the man on the other side of the door was a stranger. A very handsome stranger, but a stranger none the less. He was lean, dressed in a well-tailored suit, and hunched over playing with something in his hands. His shaggy blonde curls were hanging in his face, hiding his eyes. Making sure to open the door only enough to talk through easily, I cleared my throat to get his attention.

"May I help you?"

Bright blue eyes stared down at me with a deep sadness that made me want to reach out and hug him. "May I speak to Alice?"

I turned to ask Alice if she felt up to talking to Mr. Blue Eyes only to see her jump off the couch, rip her hair tie out, and mime "one minute" to me while sprinting into her room. _What the heck? Okay, distract him until Ali comes out! But how?_

"May I know who you are?"

"Jasper Whitlock, ma'am. I need to speak to Alice. It's urgent."

 _So this is Jasper. Good job, Ali, he's a looker. Sorry, buddy, but you're not getting in here so easily._

Stepping into the hall, I closed the door behind me and faced Blue Eyes.

"And why should I allow you into my home after this morning?" I straightened up to my full height of 5'3", crossing my arms and staring at him with my best "teacher glare", the one that had all my campers cowering whenever they misbehaved.

Jasper seemed to fall in on himself, a look of complete devastation crossed his face. "That's exactly what I have to fix! It was all a huge misunderstanding!"

"A misunderstanding?" _Thank goodness!_ "So Alice just _misunderstood_ when you said you were taking someone else to _the ball_?" _Whatever that is._

Jasper took a deep breath, his Adam's apple quivering a bit, as he raked his right hand through his hair. Something silver on his hand caught the light, but my attention was brought back to his anguished eyes as he began to plead, "I did tell her that. It had been true, but apparently there had been a breakdown in communication and now it's all cleared up. I know I hurt her, but I need to make it right. I need to talk to her, to explain!"

"Are you still taking this other woman to the ball?"

"No!" _Good, or I'd unman you._

"Are you ever going to pull a stunt like this again?"

"Good God, no. That's why I have to talk to Alice. I can't wait anymore. Everyone needs to know she's mine, that I'm hers. Please just let me inside! Let me speak to Alice." The poor man looked on the verge of tears.

"You may come in while I see if Alice is willing to hear you out." _Perhaps he can sit on the couch while I go in and "convince her to hear him out", hopefully that gives her enough time to get ready because this man deserves to at least be somewhat comfortable while he waits._

"Thank you," he breathed out. I gave him a slight smile and turned to go back inside only to realize that I'd left my keys on the other side of my self-locking suit door. _Well, schlitterbahn._

 **AN: Thank you all so much for giving my little story a chance. And special thanks to Tarbecca for the recommendation!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I was just about to swallow my pride, turn around, and explain that I'd locked us out, losing all credibility as the scary best friend, when the door opened in front of me. There stood Alice: hair falling in perfect waves; make-up expertly applied; and wearing an outfit that screamed both casual and designer at the same time. It couldn't have been five minutes since she escaped to her room. That girl had talent.

"Alice, darling, you have a gentleman caller," and, with a slight nod from Ali, I slipped past her and into my room.

The walls of our suite were insulated well enough to actually block most sound, so eavesdropping wasn't an option without being caught. It was probably time to study for my Calc test on Tuesday, anyway. Calculus was like learning a whole new language that you believed you already spoke fluently. Interesting, but difficult and frustrating. Hence, my list of pumpkin patches, which happened to be sitting in the living room along with my Calc book and notes.

 _Hmm… I could just pop in and grab my bag._ No, Alice needed this time to really talk to Jasper. Besides, she'd give me the play by play later.

Looking around my room I decided to start on my paper for my Shakespeare class. Old Will's take on Richard III was more of a projection of Tudor sentiment than historical fact, and delving deep into the characters of both fictional and historical Richard was my kind of fun. I was absorbed in my own little world, two pages into my paper, when my door was flung open.

"I'm going to the ball!" shrieked my roommate as she launched herself at me from the doorway.

I stood up to meet her in a bone crushing hug. "Yay, Alice! I knew it had to be a misunderstanding. I'm so happy for you! What happened? How did you work it out?"

"Oh, Bella," Alice sighed as she snuggled up on my bed, patting the spot beside her. "It truly was the most ridiculous of circumstances. You know it's been two years since Jasper and I met, and I hated him fiercely in the beginning."

"Wait a minute," I held up one hand while grabbing a pillow and snuggling in for what was sure to be an interesting story. "I thought you said you two were 'instantly connected' and that you knew from the very first time you met him he was the man you would someday marry. Love at first sight. Destiny. All that jazz."

"Oh, I did. That's why I hated him so much."

"Ali, that makes no sense."

With a sigh and a slight giggle she continued, "I know. It seems silly now, but I was only sixteen, and my greatest dream was getting out of Chicago, leaving this whole life behind, and suddenly here was something that could make me stay. What made it even worse was the fact that he didn't even know I existed.

"To Jasper I was his best friend's kid sister, the boss's daughter, so I took my frustrations out on him." With a deep sigh, Ali fell back onto my pillows. "I was so mean, Bella. Every time I saw him I made sure to get in some snide remark or order him around like some servant. And he put up with all of it, never once spoke back."

"So, one Sunday we were having our family dinner and Jasper was talking to my father about his business classes and how they could implement some new practice into how they were running some part of the corporation or what have you. I try not to pay too much attention to their business conversations. But, anyway, he was talking about some complicated model and my father was all, 'I'm shocked at how much you're learning from this course. You're a real asset, son. I'm glad Edward brought you on board.' And I may have said, under my breath, that I was shocked he could understand anything at all given the backwoods, trailer park Edward pulled him out of."

"Oh, Alice! You didn't!" I couldn't imagine sweet little Alice even thinking something like that.

"Oh, I did. I honestly thought I was quiet enough no one had heard me, but the whole table went silent, and they all turned to me as one except for Jasper. He just stared down at his plate with this look on his face that I couldn't read. Before I could say anything my mother grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of there. She's very strong."

"I believe it." Esme may be one of the sweetest women I've ever met, but she had that mom aura that screamed "do it and you'll be sorry".

Alice cracked a small smile before continuing, "Mom yanked me all the way up to my room before letting me have it. I don't even really remember what she said, a lot of stuff about embarrassing her, and Jasper being family now. I just remember yelling out that it was all his fault. If he hadn't made me love him so much, none of this would have happened."

A small giggle escaped me at the image of sixteen year old Alice stomping her foot and screaming in all her angst-y glory.

"Laugh all you want. It was rather ridiculous. I even started crying, and my mom just stood there for a minute with her mouth hanging open and her eyes bugging out." Alice's bell like laugh filled the room. "It was probably just a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity, before she pulled me into a hug. And then she said something I'll never forget. Mom looked me right in the eyes and said, 'Alice, if you truly love that man you'll stop this foolish nonsense right now. Love is about respect and trust. You can't have a healthy relationship if you don't respect one another, and you can't respect someone fully if you don't trust them. Sometimes life throws us a curveball, and we can either make it into a grand slam or strike out. Which one are you going to do?'"

"I didn't realize your mom was so into baseball." My lack of a filter made Alice shake her head and giggle.

"Oh, we're all baseball fanatics. Huge Sox fans. We are Gold Coast Club members at Comiskey. Just a word of advice: never call it Cellular Field in front of my father. He'll give a long lecture on tradition and how commercialism is ruining America."

"I'll keep that in mind." This was the first thing I'd actually learned about Carlisle Cullen besides a vague sense that he ran his own business, was married to Esme, and had fathered Alice and her brother. I also didn't know when I would ever meet the man, but at least my own father had taught me quite a bit about baseball so holding a conversation with him wouldn't be too difficult. "You still haven't explained what happened today, young lady. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"I'd get there if you'd be quiet and let me finish." Alice threw me a pointed glare as I pretended to lock my lips and throw away the key. "Good, now where was I? Oh! So, I looked at my mom and really thought about it, and realized I had no idea what I wanted. I expected my mom to be upset with me, but she just laughed and said, 'Of course you don't. You just met him a few weeks ago. The amazing thing about your situation is that he isn't going anywhere, and you have a couple years to decide if he's worth it all. Now, you're going to go back down there and apologize, and you are going to show him the Alice I know and love.' Mom gave me one more hug then I fixed my make-up, and we made our way back to the dining room.

"Before we made it all the way back, though, we heard arguing. My brother was in his room yelling at Jasper about letting me walk all over him."

Alice sat up suddenly, turning to face me completely, with the biggest grin on her face.

"What happened next is one of the greatest moments of my life so far. I remember Edward saying, quite forcefully, 'Why, Jasper? Why do you let her treat you like shit? Why won't you stand up for yourself?!' I was about to go in and apologize when Jasper screamed back, "Because I love her, dammit! Because I think she's the most beautiful woman to ever live, that, to everyone else but me, she's the kindest, gentlest soul to walk this earth. And I can't blame her for hating me. I'm a twenty year old man in love with a sixteen year old! She's right, I am backwoods trash. There's no way I could ever deserve her and if all I can get is her scorn for the rest of my life I'll gladly take it!'"

"He actually said all of that? Word for word?" I didn't know what to be more impressed by: Alice's perfect recall or Jasper's complete devotion after a few weeks of knowing each other.

"One doesn't forget one's first declaration of love!" Alice sighed, falling back onto the pillows.

"So what did you do?" _I probably would have jumped him._

"I threw the door open, ran at Jasper, and planted a big old kiss right on his lips!" The pride in Alice's voice was hard to miss and I couldn't blame her at all.

"Ah! This is movie level romance, Alice! This stuff just doesn't happen in real life."

"That's what I would think, too, if I hadn't lived it."

"Well…?" I asked while nudging her with my foot.

"Well, what?"

"What happened next? And what does any of this have to do with earlier today?"

Alice shot up into a sitting position again, "Right! Well, I'd taken Jasper a bit by surprise…"

"Oh, a bit?" I laughed at her sheepish expression. It was always somewhat comforting to see someone blushing who wasn't me.

"Yes, a _bit_. He responded quickly enough, but my mother whisper yelling my name kind of ruined the moment."

"Ooo… got caught by the parentals your first time. Harsh, man."

"Ugh, are you going to listen or not?" Alice shot me an exasperatedly amused look, so I mimed my lip-locking again. _Though Alice is the real lip-locker, hehe._ " _Anyway,_ we jumped apart and then spent a good ten minutes explaining everything to each other, as well as Ed and my mom, and by the end of it we'd agreed to wait until I was eighteen to truly start courting. We spent the last two years getting to know each other and I came to realize he was worth me staying.

"Now here's where this all ties into today. At the end of our conversation that day, my mom said, 'Don't worry, I won't tell your father.' And I'd assumed she meant about the kiss, because she and my father tell each other _everything_ , but he would have had a conniption if he knew Jasper had kissed me before we were courting."

"Wait, didn't you date before Jasper?" Alice was gorgeous and out-going. I'd been sure she'd had a slew of beaus before Jasper had come along. Unlike me, she seemed completely comfortable with the opposite sex, and able to read their intentions quite clearly.

"Oh, no. That was strictly forbidden in the Cullen home. That's part of why I was so desperate to leave." _Odd, but ok._ "Apparently, though she meant _she actually wasn't going to tell him_! She believed Edward would do it, as he'd introduced Jasper to the family. Edward and I thought Mom did it, and Jasper just assumed someone had mentioned it to my father."

"Oh no…"

"Oh yes. So my father, Jasper's boss, calls him into his office this morning. Apparently, there's some daughter of a business friend of my father's who happens to be a couple years older than us, and _her_ father wants to set her up with an 'upstanding gentleman'."

I couldn't help the pained groan that left me as I lay back amongst the pillows. It was quite obvious where this was headed, and my poor empathetic soul was feeling all the crazy emotions mixed into this mix up.

"Exactly. So, my father, believing Jasper to be an unattached 'upstanding gentleman', calls Jasper into his office and informs him that he has a date for Jasper to take to the ball. At first, Jasper thought he meant me, but Father soon explained who it was, and Jasper felt like it was his way of saying he didn't approve of our relationship."

"Why didn't he just say something?" Honestly, this all could've been avoided with a well-timed "what about Alice?".

"My father communicates through a lot subtle hints. It's amazingly frustrating, but it's what made Jasper feel that this was one of said hints. He said he even considered, as he drank away his sorrows, that I'd told my father I didn't want to be with him anymore, and my father had agreed to take care of it."

 _Poor Jasper!_ "So how did Jasper realize what happened?"

Alice turned to me with an oddly soft expression and said, "He didn't. This is where I have to thank you, Bella. I know I said it just a few days ago, but you truly are the best friend I've ever had. Jasper left my father's office and went straight to the bar he helps my brother run, called me, and then drank pretty steadily for about an hour. He then proceeded to go to Ed's office; yell, 'I'll love her forever! I would've been a good husband. Oh, Alice'; and then fell face first onto Ed's couch."

"Ouch!"

"Mm-hmm… Well, Edward assumed the worst until you picked up the phone. By the way, thanks for sticking up for me like that."

"Of course, Ali. I'll always have your back. You know that."

"And I'll always have yours. But, so when you told Ed what happened he called Mom and asked if she'd ever told our father about Jasper and me. She yelled at him saying it was his responsibility and that it made sense now why he never seemed to understand what she was talking about. Ed filled my mom in on what happened, and she went to visit my father."

Alice's face broke out into the biggest grin I'd ever seen as she began to shake from laughter.

"There is only one thing on this planet that my father is afraid of, and that's my mother. Oh, I wish I could've been there to see what happened. Needless to say, my father called Jasper shortly after. Thankfully, Ed had done his best to sober him up by that point. Jasper got my father's full blessing, and now I'm going to the ball!"

My body bounced up into the air, as Alice started jumping on my bed in a moment of unrestrained glee. The complete 180 that had occurred in her emotions since early this afternoon was amazing, and the idea of having someone in my life that had that much power over me was both exciting and terrifying.

"I'm so happy for you!" I said as I began jumping with her.

"There is one downside." Alice stilled, grabbing my hands, with a serious look on her face. "I'm going to have to start going to Sunday dinners again, which means I'll be expected at the ten o'clock mass at St. Barnabas."

"Oh, well that's fine. Really…"

"Bella! I want you to come with me. Please?"

 **AN:**

 **First of all: I'm soooo sorry for the long wait. Between traveling, illnesses, and the beginning of the school year, I seemed to have no time to myself, let alone to write.**

 **Second: I know this was a dialogue heavy chapter, but I felt it was necessary to clear some things up and give you a little background on Alice.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Last July I got my first email from Alice. She explained that her mother, in a bought of over-excitement, had already purchased everything necessary for our mutual living spaces, and then went on to apologize for habits that might become annoying to a roommate. Of course I found many of these things to be a huge bonus: her love of musicals; her close relationship with her mother (which meant frequent visits with wine); her aversion to keggers; and, most importantly, her obligation to attend mass every Sunday/Holy Day.

When I was fifteen my mother, Renee, met a wonderful man named Alistair. He was witty, charming, financially sound, and a staunch Roman Catholic. My mother was convinced he was the one and wasn't about to let something "as silly as religion" get between them, so she chose to convert. This meant, as her whims usually did, that I was converting as well. Alistair lasted two months post RCIA completion and our first communion. Mom left the church shortly after, but I decided, for once, not to follow her. There was something comforting about the idea that I could walk into a Catholic Church anywhere in the world and experience the same mass I would have at home (if perhaps in a different language).

Within a week of fervent email exchanges, Alice and I had figured out a fool proof plan for finding the perfect parish. Her home church was ruled out immediately. If either of us had a car, it would have been at least a forty-five minute drive. We didn't. So the commute would have been more along the lines of two hours one way. This left us with five possible churches to consider.

Our weekends had been full of bus changes and running to catch the purple line so that we could investigate the candidates fully and choose the best church for us. The first Sunday we went to the eight o'clock at St. Mary and then skedaddled on over to the Sheil Center for the eleven o'clock (with a quick coffee grab in between). Sheil was marked off the list pretty quickly. There's no use going to church if you can't stay awake for the homily, even if it is the campus parish.

The next Saturday evening we attended the five o'clock mass at St. Joan of Arc. It was a bit of a commute, but a lovely parish. Plus, just saying I went to Joan of Arc made the feminist in me dance for joy. Sunday morning saw us up early, so we could walk over to St. Athanasius for the eight o'clock. Afterwards, Alice and I ate breakfast then headed to St. Nicholas for their eleven o'clock.

It was during these crazy commutes that Alice and I cemented our friendship. We discussed everything from our classes to our dream careers to the interesting choices of hats worn by ladies of a certain age. She marveled at the freedom I had growing up with a single mother, and questioned why I'd never felt the need to abuse it. Then I held her hand as she vented over her suffocating high school years, and the fact that she still felt boxed in.

Church had become a part of our friendship, and so that morning I found myself getting off the bus at 103rd and Longwood ready to walk down to the parish where Ali grew up.

I was running on less than four hours of sleep. Alice had spent the wee hours of the morning briefing me on all the people we would be seeing today. At one point I'd interrupted to ask if there was anyone I _wouldn't_ be meeting. She left for her room shortly after.

Alice came very close to being bludgeoned to death by my purse when she gushed about how Jasper had wanted to pick us up this morning, but she'd insisted that he sleep in due to the emotional turmoil of the day before. We could have had a comfortable, forty-five minute car ride straight to the door, but nooo, Jasper needed to sleep off his "emotional turmoil". I'd show him turmoil. _I really need coffee._

As soon as the thought popped into my head, I spotted ole blue eyes himself leaning on the cobble stoned wall in front of the church while holding two gorgeous cups of the good stuff.

"Good morning, ladies. I thought you might want a little pick me up before mass." Jasper handed us each a cup, and gave Alice a kiss on the cheek causing both of them to blush and grin goofily. _Oh, fluffernutter, that's cute._

"Mary him."

"I plan to. Come on, we have some introductions to make before mass starts." Flashing me a huge grin, Alice linked her arm through Jasper's and marched into the building like she owned it.

I followed dutifully while sipping on my mocha. _That man is good._ The church itself had taken me by surprise. Knowing Alice, I'd been expecting a turn of the century, cathedral-esque building, all stone and bell towers, but the building I was walking into was more mid-century modern.

Children dashed around the entry way while mothers whisper yelled at them to _calm down_. A group of men were standing in one corner laughing while one of them told some story, his arms flailing around for emphasis. One little girl was using her brother's tantrum to sneak a doughnut from a large selection laid out near the door. All in all, it oozed a warm, homey feeling. Suddenly, the two hour commute didn't seem so bad.

I was pulled from my thoughts as a little old lady came up to us. "Oh, Alice, it's so good to see you dear. What brings you home from school?"

"Jasper insisted on my coming home today. I think he just wants to show me off." Alice mock whispered as she adjusted her arm to show off a shiny new bracelet. My sleep addled brain must have missed it this morning. The old woman noticed it at the same time I did. Her face moved from shocked to joyous so quickly, I almost missed the split second of sadness in between.

"Congratulations, Jasper. You better take good care of this one."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Cope. She wouldn't let me do anything else."

As old Mrs. Cope walked away to greet a new arrival, I turned to Alice, "That's a beautiful bracelet. When did you get it?"

"Jasper gave it to me last night. It's a family tradition. You receive a bracelet with the family crest at the beginning of courtship." She moved her arm so I could clearly see the Cullen Crest stamped into the metal.

"Ah, he's marking his territory," I said while giving her a wide grin, only half joking.

The responding chuckle, however, was not Alice's.

"That's one way to put it." His voice was even more amazing in person. It was rich and deep, like Scar or the Beast (before he turned into that sissy-man at the end). _No wonder I have no love life, the first thing I think of is Disney movies._ For a moment I panicked. He hadn't been part of the debriefing last night/this morning, but I really should have known he'd be here. This was a family event and he was her brother. "I prefer to think of it as a sign of commitment. A physical reminder to the lady and everyone else that she is loved, cared for, and protected. Welcome home, Alice."

He'd somehow managed to make his way between Alice and me. As he stooped to hug his sister hello, I was able to take in the magnificence that was Edward Cullen. The dark suit he wore was tailored to perfection. He was obviously fit, and much taller than I'd imagined. There was a mop of bronze colored hair atop his head that looked like someone had just run their hands through it in a fit of passion, and his jaw seemed to be chiseled from marble. _Fudgesicle, he is way out of my league. How am I supposed to form a coherent thought, let alone speak to this guy?_

"But commitment does seem to be a foreign concept for some. Doesn't it, Texas?" _Oh, that's right, he's an ass._ I couldn't help but take offense. My lovely chameleon mother wasn't exactly known for settling down. My sister's father was a drummer from some metal band. Mine was a small town lawyer up in the hill country. Then, of course, there were all the men since. And, while there was no reason for Edward to know any of this, that annoyingly sexy smirk on his face seemed to imply he did, and that he was mocking me.

"True commitment isn't proven through baubles, _Mr._ Cullen. It's shown through the choices you make every day. It's putting another's needs before your own, sacrificing your own wants for the happiness of the one you love. Alice has shown her commitment to this relationship by simply being here. A bracelet doesn't make her love any more real. Jasper's thoughtful gift of coffee this morning showed he cared for her well-being much more than a piece of metal on her arm."

He seemed taken aback for a moment, but before he could speak I turned to Alice and Jasper.

"No offense meant, of course. It's absolutely beautiful, Ali, and it fits your personality to a T. You did a wonderful job picking it out Jasper. It shows how well you know and care for her."

Alice's grin couldn't be any bigger as she replied with a simple, "It's ok."

"No offense taken, Ms. Swan." Jasper seemed to be holding back a laugh for his friend's sake.

"Please, call me Bella. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now that you and Alice have gotten your act together."

"It's nice to put a name to a voice, Bella." Turning back towards Edward, I fixed him with my best glare.

"I don't believe I gave _you_ permission to address me so informally, Mr. Cullen." _That's right, buddy, flounder._ His mouth opened and closed a couple of times as if he wanted to say something but nothing would come out. Taking a sip of my coffee to hide my smile, I was completely unprepared for the shock that coursed through me when our eyes finally locked.

It was like falling into an ocean of emeralds. Everything else seemed to fade away, leaving only two emerald orbs that seemed to hold all the shock, frustration, confusion, and awe I was feeling. I watched, transfixed, as those eyes slowly softened and then filled with resolve. _Schlitterbahn, come on loins, time to gird up._

"Alice, Bella!" Jumping in alarm, I spun towards the new arrival to our little group as the room rushed back into focus. "I'm so glad you're here. I have a bottle of wine ready to come home with you after lunch. That's if I get to come, too."

I reached out to give Esme a hug hello. Hoping my blush and laughter would be attributed to the joy of seeing her, and not the strange relief I felt being pulled away from her son.

"You're always welcome at Casa de Swan-Cullen, Esme. _Especially_ if you bring wine."

Her rich, throaty laugh melted away the last of my unease as she linked her arms with Alice and me.

"Come, ladies. Let's go commune with our Lord." And, giggling, I entered the sanctuary, leaving Mr. Emerald Cullen behind.

 **AN:**

 **Hey, y'all! Sorry again for the wait. We're finally getting everyone into the new routine so I should have more time to write soon.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I greatly appreciate all feedback. There's nothing quite like having your phone ping with an incoming comment someone left for your work.**

 **Also, there's a contest coming up in November: P.S. I Love You. It's being hosted by sri ffn and purpleC305. If you have an itch to write, this would be a good one to enter. If you just want to check out a lot of good new one-shots, keep peeled for the entries as they come out in November.**

 **Thanks, as always. Hope you enjoyed.**


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